Remember the Constitution

About the Author

"In every generation, the world has produced enemies of human
freedom," President Bush reminded us in his remarks at the National
Cathedral. "They have attacked America because we are
freedom's home and defender, and the commitment of our fathers
is now the calling of our time."

Today is Constitution Day, and marks the signing of the longest
lasting, most successful, most enviable and most imitated
constitution man has ever known. At a time when our freedom
and the rule of law are under attack, we should pause for a moment
to consider this remarkable event and what Abraham Lincoln called
"an inestimable jewel."

The Declaration of Independence eloquently announced America's
separation from England and proclaimed new principles of legitimate
political authority. It was the United States Constitution,
however, that actually formed "a more perfect Union" and continues
to secure "the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our
posterity."

Eleven years after the Declaration, from May 25 to September 17,
1787, delegates convened in Philadelphia to create a new
constitution for governing the new nation. Not only were
there leaders in the fight for independence, such as Roger Sherman
and John Dickinson, and leading thinkers just coming into
prominence, such as James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and
Gouverneur Morris, but also legendary figures, such as Benjamin
Franklin and George Washington. John Adams declared the
three-and-a-half month convention "the greatest single effort of
national deliberation that the world has ever seen."

Their challenge was to create the institutional arrangements for
securing the rights promised in the Declaration of Independence and
preserving a republican form of government that reflected the
consent of the governed, all the while severely restricting state
authority so as to prevent government tyranny. Their solution
was to create a strong government of adequate but limited powers,
all carefully enumerated in a written constitution. In
addition to an energetic executive, a bicameral legislature and an
independent judiciary, its structural arrangements include a system
of separated powers-giving each branch different functions and
responsibilities so that none dominates-and federalism, which
divides authority between the national and state governments.
That the framers could agree on such a government was, according to
George Washington, "little short of a miracle."

Since its ratification in 1789, the Constitution has secured our
fundamental rights, recognizing an unprecedented degree of human
freedom at the same time that it upholds the rule of law. The
monumental exception, of course, was the institution of
slavery-recognized by the letter of the Constitution, condemned by
the words of the Declaration-which eventually required a civil war
to right. Nevertheless, the Constitution has provided the
framework for the people of America to build a great, prosperous
and just nation unlike any in the world-a nation that those few
delegates, as optimistic as they were, could only have
imagined.

As a nation, we must now relearn much what, in peace and
prosperity, we have forgotten. To be sure, we must relearn
the fact that the world is a dangerous place and-sixty years after
the last foreign strike on our soil-that we are not immune from
attack. Democracies are too often blind when it comes to
threats to their freedom. But, if in this moment we are to
strengthen our resolve and deepen our patriotism, we must also
relearn-and our political leaders must rekindle our dedication
to-America's principles and purposes.

Winston Churchill, at the time of the Blitz, when German air
raids were devastating London, said that "the world is witnessing
the birth throes of a sublime resolve." But he also
warned the British people that "this is only the first sip, the
first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year
by year unless, by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial
vigour, we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the
olden time."

As we raise the flag, and explain to our children what is happening
to our nation, let us not forget the calling of our time, and take
our stand for freedom. Remember the Constitution.

Matthew Spalding
Ph.D., is Director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for
American Studies at The Heritage Foundation, and editor of The
Founders' Almanac: A Practical Guide to the Notable Events,
Greatest Leaders & Most Eloquent Words of the American
Founding.